Former Spurs striker Darren Bent has tipped Oliver Skipp to leave Tottenham Hotspur and join Southampton on loan this summer.
Speaking exclusively to Football Insider, the ex-England international believes Skipp should replace Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg if the 33-cap Denmark international moves to north London.
Tottenham boss Jose Mourinho insists Hojbjerg is the signing he needs to rebuild the midfield before the start of the 2020/21 Premier League season.
The former Southampton captain looks likely to leave St Mary’s with only one year remaining on his current contract. He has told the Saints he will not sign a new deal.
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Recent reports revealed Mourinho has reluctantly agreed to let Skipp leave on loan in the summer, amid interest from Premier League rivals Burnley, Fulham and Southampton, as well as Championship sides Reading and Nottingham Forest.
The academy graduate has signed a new four-year deal with Spurs but the Lilywhites will let him leave as he wants to play regular first-team football in the midfield and feels he has better chances of doing so at a Championship club than in the English top flight.
When asked where Skipp should go, Bent told assistant editor Russell Edge: “I really like what Southampton are doing so I’d probably say Southampton.
“It looks as though Hojbjerg is going to go to Spurs, I think he’s going to go so there’s a spot there. I really like Ralph Hasenhuttl, I think he’s been brilliant and I really like what they’re doing down there.
“They’ve got a nice young mix and blend of players so I’d probably say go down there. It’s a nice place to live, it’s beautiful down there, it’s not too far from London as well so I’m all for the Southampton move.”
It is hard to argue with Bent here, as Saints boss Ralph Hasenhuttl has worked wonders with Spurs loanee Kyle Walker-Peters so far.
Walker-Peters has enjoyed a breakthrough spell since the Premier League restart, starring as Southampton beat Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City 1-0 on the South Coast.
Making just his third start for the club, the former England U-21 international kept Raheem Sterling in his back pocket all game, as City struggled to score for the first time in five games. It is fair to say he hasn’t looked back since as the Saints enjoyed a 7-game unbeaten streak by the end of the season.
At first he found his chances limited before grabbing the opportunity to prove himself and becoming a vital part of Hasenhuttl’s side in the process.
Bouncing back from a humiliating 9-0 defeat by Leicester City at home, Southampton finished eleventh in the table on 52 points, a place above Carlo Ancelotti’s Everton.
Skipp, 19, played seven games in the Premier League this season, although the majority of his appearances came from the bench. In comparison, Walker-Peters featured in ten matches for the Saints.
If Hojbjerg leaves as expected, Hasenhuttl will be looking for a holding midfielder to fill the gap in the transfer window. Whether or not he will be willing to take a risk on a teenager who is still largely unproven at the top levels of the game is another matter entirely.
While there is no guarantee Skipp would get the same amount of game time as his teammate, it may turn out to be a shrewd move in the end, as he could pick up valuable experience on the South Coast, before returning to his parent club to challenge for a place in the starting lineup.
Tottenham fans, do you think Skipp should join Southampton this summer? Let us know down below!
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